STA Technology

Shifted Termination Assay (STATM) is TrimGen’s proprietary technology for mutation detection. The technology can be used to detect any type of mutation with high sensitivity and accuracy.

How it worksThe STATM reaction recognizes target sequences (wild type or mutant) and selectively labels the target base(s) with multiple fluorescent dye labeled nucleotides. The mutation signal is then further enriched using an enzymatic reaction to increase the detection sensitivity. The extended STATM fragments are then separated using a capillary sequencer (Applied Biosystems® 3100, 3130, 3500, 3700 series Genetic Analyzer) followed by data analysis using GeneMapper® software.

Clear-cut resultsAs shown in the figure above, the test result shows a wild type peak and a mutant peak. The mutant peak is easily identified by both size and color.

PCR-like SensitivitySensitivity is achieved by enriching the mutation signal using a special STA chemistry. It is difficult for Sanger sequencing method to identify mutations below 15%, while STA method is able to detect the low level (1-2%) mutations after signal enrichment. Below is the data from a side-by-side comparison. In this case, the Sanger sequencing missed the mutation. In contrast, the STA method enhances the mutation signal and easily identifies the mutation.

Established assay method and provide results in less than 3 hours

The STATM test provides result in less than 3 hours with 4 simple steps. The method has been used in laboratories worldwide for over 10 years and can be found in many academic publications. The STA assays are designed for use with industry standard capillary sequencers. User can perform the assay with any one of the Applied Biosystems® 3100, 3130, 3500 and 3700 series Genetic Analyzers.

STA technology uses special chemistry to enrich mutation signal for low level mutations detection. The STA assay (Mutector) has been widely used to detect BRAF, KRAS and other mutations see STA publications.

STA core reagents are designed for testing any mutation. Users can design their own primers or select primer sets from our list to use in combination with STA core reagents for mutation analysis. We provide custom design service to assist you in making your own test panels. Please contact us for custom design.